No predictions, just preparation.

Looking at world events through the lens of the Word of God, let’s look at some headlines from today’s news that point to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, today, under the Sign category of WARS & RUMORS OF WARS — According to Fox News, a second U.S. Navy aircraft carrier strike group entered the western Pacific on Tuesday amid an increasing war of words between the United States and North Korea. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is joining the USS Ronald Reagan off the Korean Peninsula. It is rare to have two U.S. Navy aircraft carriers stationed in the region. The deployment comes as the U.S., Japan, and South Korean maritime forces are conducting a trilateral exercise aimed at improving ballistic missile defenses.

Second, today, under the Sign category of PESTILENCES AND EPIDEMIC DISEASES — According to The Washington Post, this month, world leaders rehearsed for a pandemic that experts say will come ‘sooner than we expect.’ It’s the fourth such exercise the World Bank has helped organize in the past year, reflecting what experts say is the growing awareness outside the traditional global health sector of the increasing threat and economic disruption posed by a global pandemic. Tim Evans, senior director for health, nutrition and population at the World Bank, said the chaotic and “horrendously inefficient” early response to the 2014 Ebola epidemic in West Africa that killed more than 11,000 people was the catalyst for the simulations. He said, The bank wanted to “move from a history of panic and neglect to one where we’re going to start to prepare much more systematically to be ready for the 100 percent probability we will be dealing with this again — probably sooner than we expect.”

Third, today, under the Sign category of INTEREST IN FALSE/ONE-WORLD RELIGION — According to The Guardian, a successful Silicon Valley engineer is aiming to set up a religious organization that worships artificial intelligence. Anthony Levandowski, a former top developer for Google and Uber, has established a nonprofit religious corporation called Way of the Future. According to state filings, Way of the Future’s startling mission is “to develop and promote the realization of a Godhead based on artificial intelligence and through understanding and worship of the Godhead contribute to the betterment of society.” Silicon Valley has sought solace in technology and has developed quasi-religious concepts including the “singularity”, the hypothesis that machines will eventually be so smart that they will outperform all human capabilities, leading to a superhuman intelligence that will be incomprehensible to our brains. Other science and technology experts in the field, including Stephen Hawkins and Elon Musk, have warned against the unbridled development of artificial intelligence. Musk said this week that Levandowski represents ‘the kind of people who should absolutely not be allowed to develop digital superintelligence.’

You can read these stories in more detail and get more Second Coming-related news on our website at Second Coming Herald.com

Now, it’s time for Prophecy Bootcamp.

Prophecy Bootcamp is where we deal with the basics of prophecy, the Second Coming of Christ, and what will happen in the future according to the Bible. Our aim here is not to make predictions but to help you get prepared by understanding how things will unfold in the end times.

Our topic for today is titled “The Great Harlot and the Scarlet Beast (Part 4)” from Dr. Ed Hindson’s book “Revelation: Unlocking the Future.” And, I want to remind you to take advantage of our special offer. If you enjoy this podcast, please feel free to purchase a copy of this book — “Revelation: Unlocking the Future” by Dr. Ed Hindson. Dr. Hindson simplifies the message of the Revelation so that you can easily understand it for yourself. You need this book in your library. It is available on our website for just $30. You can make your purchase today at SecondComingHerald.com.

The very fact that John calls Babylon’s identity a “mystery” ought to be enough to indicate that he does not intend us to take “Babylon” literally. His subsequent description of this great city makes that point all the more clear. David Hocking also emphasizes that she is a “mystery and says, “This suggests that neither ancient Babylon nor its site is intended. It teaches us to look deeper and to to see it figuratively rather than literally.”

John’s imagery is drawn from Jeremiah 51:7-8, where Babylon is referred to as a “golden cup” that made the nations drunk with the intoxicating desire for power. Thus, John takes the name of Israel’s ancient enemy, Babylon, and uses it for Rome. Robert Mounce writes, “Whether Jezebel or Cleopatra sat for the portrait John is now painting makes little difference. The harlot is Rome. Adorned in luxury and intoxicated with the blood of the saints, she stands for a dominant world system based on seduction for personal gain over and against the righteous demands of a persecuted minority.”

The real tragedy is that she could well be America! While there is no clear prophecy about the United States in the Bible (nor Canada, Australia, South Africa, etc.), it is possible to infer nations that are European transplants from “[the young lions] of Tarshish.” It is certainly probable that if a European alliance were to form in fulfillment of these prophecies anytime soon, it would most likely include all the major Western powers. That an American leader could head them is certainly possible, even probable.

Lord willing, in our next episode, we will begin answering the question, “Who is This Great Mystery?”

In closing, let’s consider what God wants you and I to do in light of His Second Coming.

Jesus Christ said in Luke 19:13 to “Occupy till I come.” In light of that, we are continuing our journey through the book, “Coming Events and Present Duties,” by J.C. Ryle. It is a collection of what he called “prophetical tracts” that focus on the believer’s duty in light of the signs which point to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

This section is titled, “What Time Is It?” (Part 1). J.C. Ryle writes:

Romans 13:12 said, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.”

You and I are in a world which is rapidly rolling on towards the day of judgment. There is an hour before us all when the earth and its works shall be burned up, and the inhabitants thereof shall all stand before the bar of Christ. There is a day to come whose issues are of greatest importance. Surely it befits us to think of that day. Are we ready for it? Is it possible that we may live to see it? Is it near, or is it far off? What time is it?

Come with me this day and consider the thoughts of an inspired Apostle on this solemn subject. He says, “The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on us the armor of light.” These words ought to come home to our consciences like the blast of a trumpet. They ought to rouse our sleeping minds to a sense of the eternal realities which are before us. They call upon us to lay aside all trifling, lingering, and carelessness about our Christianity. They summon us to a close walk with God.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at this topic in our next broadcast/podcast.

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CLOSING PRAYER

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Remember the words of the Lord in Matthew 24:42: “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” Matthew 24:44 says, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

If you are not ready for the Return of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to get ready today by receiving Him as your Savior. Here is how:

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…” Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here is the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

1. U.S.-backed Syrian forces celebrated in the devastated streets of Raqqa on Tuesday after gaining control of the northern city that once was the heart of the Islamic State’s self-styled caliphate, dealing a major defeat to the extremist group that has seen its territory shrink ever smaller since summer.

2. North Korea warned that a nuclear war “may break out any moment” as the U.S. and South Korea began one of the largest joint naval drills off both the east and west coasts of the peninsula.

3. Instability is set to follow the all-but-certain collapse of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. While the militants have now lost their self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa and are battling to hang on to relatively small pockets of territory, few expect ISIS to completely go away, or for the bloodshed in the two countries and the region to end quickly.

4. China is proving that it is serious about its newest restrictions on religion. This week, a Chinese house church pastor, her daughter, and her young grandson were arrested, weeks after being accused of overstepping the country’s newly tightened religious restrictions.

5. U.S. President Donald Trump struck a blow against the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement last week in defiance of other world powers, choosing not to certify that Tehran is complying with the deal in a major reversal of U.S. policy.

You can read these stories in more detail and get more prophecy-related news at SecondComingHerald.com.

The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Jeremiah 31:27-28.

Our Second Coming quote for today is from Billy Graham. He said, “The Second Coming of Christ will be so revolutionary that it will change every aspect of life on this planet. Christ will reign in righteousness. Disease will be arrested. Death will be modified. War will be abolished. Nature will be changed. Man will live as it was originally intended he should live.”

PROPHECY HEADLINES: Iran tests new ballistic missile in defiance of U.S. warnings | New 6.1-magnitude quake shakes Mexico | U.S. Air Force flies bombers over North Korea

PROPHECY BOOTCAMP: Our topic for today is titled “The Great Harlot and the Scarlet Beast (Part 2)” from Dr. Ed Hindson’s book “Revelation: Unlocking the Future.”

Whether one view’s Babylon as the worldly enterprise of John’s day, our day, or some future day, Beasley-Murray’s observation is valid: “The contrasts [which we discussed in our last episode] will have been readily perceived by John’s original readers, and will have served to emphasize the necessity that they should ‘depart’ from Babylon, so as not to share in its fate, and that they maintain their lot in the city which will endure forever.”

The question often debated among evangelicals is whether this “Babylon” is the Babylon of ancient times revived in the Last Days or whether it is symbolic of Rome revived in the Last Days. Either way, those who view the Revelation as a prophecy of the future must look for a future Babylon or future Rome as the fulfillment of this prediction. In this regard, let us consider several key factors.

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OCCUPY TILL I COME: This section is titled, “Occupy Until I Come!” (Part 26) based on the parable of the nobleman who went away and left talents for his servants to use in his absence. J.C. Ryle writes:

If you are a student of prophecy, I entreat you never to let it be said that prophetic study prevents practical diligence. If you do believe that the day is really approaching, then labor actively to provoke others unto love and good works.

First, under the Sign category of DISTRESS AMONG NATIONS — According to the Associated Press, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned the world’s leaders that the threat of a nuclear attack is at its highest level since the end of the Cold War and that “fiery talk can lead to fatal misunderstandings.” In his first state-of-the-world report since taking the reins of the United Nations on January 1, Guterres put “nuclear peril” as the leading threat, warning that “we must not sleepwalk our way into war.” The U.N. chief told the General Assembly’s annual ministerial meeting that millions are living in fear “under a shadow of dread cast by the provocative nuclear and missile tests” of North Korea.

Second, today, under the Sign category of EARTHQUAKES IN DIVERS PLACES — According to CNN, Rescue workers are continuing to search for dozens of people feared buried in Mexico City among hundreds of buildings destroyed by the country’s most lethal earthquake in a generation. The magnitude 7.1 quake on Tuesday killed at least 217 people, nearly half of them in the capital, 32 years to the day after a devastating 1985 quake. The disaster came as Mexico was still reeling from a powerful tremor that killed nearly 100 people in the south of the country less than two weeks ago.

Third, today, under the Sign category of THE TURMOIL IN ISRAEL & THE MIDDLE EAST — According to The Washington Post, Israel has flexed its military muscles in recent months as the regional balance of power has pitched further in favor of its most bitter adversaries — Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah. Analysts and former senior Israeli military officers say Israel is showing that it will act with force to protect its interests, while using just enough of it to limit its enemies without sparking a war. But it’s a precarious line to tread, and even a small misstep could lead to conflict. Israel is scrambling to adjust as Syrian President Bashar Assad has taken the upper hand in his country’s six-year war, propped up by an emboldened Iran and an array of Shiite militias, including Hezbollah, which has sent thousands of fighters to back him. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly criticized a U.S.-Russia cease-fire deal in southern Syria for not including provisions to stop Iranian expansion. Meanwhile, Israel is making its presence felt. Last week Israeli jets buzzed so low over southern Lebanon that they shattered windows and caused panic. That followed the bombing of a military site in Syria earlier in the month that had been linked to missile production for Hezbollah. And, on Tuesday, the army used a Patriot missile to shoot down a drone that neared its airspace.

Fourth, today, under the Sign category of INCREASED NATURAL DISASTERS — According to The Washington Post, after mauling Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria delivered a punishing blow to the Dominican Republic with winds near 115 mph and driving rains as the storm carved an arc of misery through the Caribbean. Maria — now a Category 3 hurricane — was expected to gather some fresh strength over open water before taking aim at the Turks and Caicos Islands, which were battered earlier this month by Hurricane Irma on its deadly path toward Florida. Seven deaths have been blamed on Maria, an entire island is without power, and the mass of devastation it leaves behind will further compound already strained relief efforts in the region.

Fifth, today, under the Sign category of WARS & RUMORS OF WARS — According to the Associated Press, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un lobbed a string of insults at President Donald Trump on Friday in a speech during which he also hinted at a frightening new weapon test. It was the first time for a North Korean leader to issue such a direct statement against a U.S. president, dramatically escalating the war of words between the former wartime foes and raising the international nuclear standoff to a new level. Kim said his country will consider the “highest level of hard-line countermeasures in history,” a possible indication of more powerful weapons tests on the horizon. His foreign minister, when asked during a visit to the U.N. General Assembly what the countermeasure would be, said his country may test a hydrogen bomb in the Pacific Ocean.

You can read these stories in more detail and get more prophecy-related news at SecondComingHerald.com.

The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Jeremiah 31:15-22 which reads in part: “Thus saith the Lord; A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not.”

Allow me to share with you some commentary on this passage from the Popular Bible Prophecy Commentary, edited by Tim LaHaye and Ed Hindson.

This passage concludes with a call to repentance. Verse 21 begins with a plea to return to the ancient paths: “Set up for yourself roadmarks, place for yourself guideposts; direct your mind to the highway, the way by which you went.” God calls upon Israel to “return, O virgin of Israel”—to be repentant, to be converted. God continues, “How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter?” In Hosea 1-3, the prophet Hosea speaks of Israel as a divorced wife returning to her husband. Jeremiah 2:20 speaks of Israel as playing the prostitute, and Jeremiah 3:1-10 points out that Israel was divorced by God because of her prostitution. In Hosea 2:19-20, Israel has yet to return to her husband, which will prove to be “a new thing in the earth—a woman will encompass a man.” The promise is that the weak female will embrace the strong male. Israel, the wife of Jehovah, will embrace the Lord, her strong Husband, and they will have a reunion someday.

If the Lord tarries His Coming and we live, we will continue looking at the prophetic passages of the Bible in our next broadcast / podcast.

Our Second Coming quote for today is from Billy Graham. He said, “Bible teaching about the Second Coming of Christ used to be thought of as ‘doomsday’ preaching. But not anymore. It is the only ray of hope that shines as an ever brightening beam in a darkening world.”

Let’s Pray

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If you are not ready for the return of Jesus Christ, may I encourage you to get ready today by receiving Him as your Savior. Here is how.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here is the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over forty books including the Essence Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Amazon.com national bestseller, Letters to Young Black Men. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry.

He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts/podcasts, which include: The Prayer Motivator Devotional, The Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message, the Prophet Daniel’s Report, the Second Coming Watch Update and the Soul-Winning Motivator, among others.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, a Master’s degree in Religion, a Master of Divinity degree, and a Master of Theology degree from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity (formerly Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary). He is currently a candidate for the Doctor of Ministry degree.

He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica since 1987. God has blessed their union with seven children.

PROPHECY BOOTCAMP: Our topic for today is titled “The Great Harlot and the Scarlet Beast (Part 1)” from Dr. Ed Hindson’s book “Revelation: Unlocking the Future.”

— Seven Bowls of Wrath

The fall of Babylon has already been announced in Revelation 14:8. Its doom has already been certified. Now the seer fills in the details, taking all of chapter 17-18 to do so. Both ecclesiastical and political Babylon come into view in the things that follow. The city itself is pictured as a drunken harlot who is about to fall into judgment. She drains the cup of God’s wrath, only to be deceived by the very beast that carries her.

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OCCUPY TILL I COME: This section is titled, “Occupy Until I Come!” (Part 25) based on the parable of the nobleman who went away and left talents for his servants to use in his absence. J.C. Ryle writes:

Let me draw from the subject an exhortation to all who know Christ indeed, and love His appearing. That exhortation is simply this — that you will strive more and more to be a “doing” Christian.

1. Ninety people are now confirmed dead in the earthquake that struck off Mexico’s southern coast. It was the most powerful to hit the country in a century.

2. Hurricane Irma roared through the Florida Keys with punishing winds on Sunday and began pushing its way north, flooding streets, spawning tornadoes, knocking out power to more than 5 million people across the state, and snapping massive construction cranes over the Miami skyline. Four people were confirmed dead as a result of the storm, adding to the death toll of over 20 in the Caribbean islands.

3. US Defence Secretary James Mattis told his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera that America would help Japan enhance its ballistic missile defence capabilities following the biggest nuclear weapons test by North Korea.

4. On September 14, Russia will unleash what may be its largest military exercise since the Cold War. In Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and elsewhere, officials are openly concerned that the “Zapad 2017” drills near their borders will be used as cover for a military attack.

5. A 5.3-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan on Friday.

You can read these stories in more detail and get more prophecy-related news at SecondComingHerald.com.

The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Jeremiah 31:15-22.

Our Second Coming quote for today is from Arthur W. Pink. He said, “The first time [Christ] came to slay sin in men. The second time He will come to slay men in sin.”

5. Concerns among Russian Christians that the government’s anti-terrorism legislation, adopted last year, would take away their religious freedom have been proven true.

You can read these stories in more detail and get more prophecy-related news at SecondComingHerald.com.

The prophetic passage of Scripture that we are looking at today is Jeremiah 31:15-22.

Our Second Coming quote for today is from Doris Basil. She said, “Are you ready for the rapture of the church? Are you ready for Heaven? Our Lord Jesus Christ now wants all Christians to get into a sense of urgency in our preparation for His Second Coming.”